So far, so good for the Aggies againt their final cupcake of the season.

The Aggies are leading The Citadel 28-0 at the half and have scored every time they’ve had the ball. The defense has been good enough to keep The Citadel from any real threat to the end zone. A&M is also showing off some new wrinkles that have been desperately needed.

Offensively, this was supposed to be a feel better kind of game. To this point, it has been. The Aggies have scored every time they’ve had the ball, including a 98-yard drive that took 11 plays, but only 2:17. The Aggies are using tempo, and that’s something I’ve been banging the drum for all season. Marcel Reed is at his best when they’re going quick.

Reed hasn’t been fantastic today, but he’s been good. He’s 8-13 for 130 yards and a touchdown. They’ve pushed the ball down the field a little bit and TK Norman has been there to make plays, including a fantastic catch on the sideline where he dragged a toe to convert a third and long. Reed had two drops and Isaiah Horton could have pulled in a deep ball if he had played it tougher. Yes, it is The Citadel, but at least it’s a reminder to Reed about what he can do. He’s been calm, he’s been in control and he’s making things happen in a good way.

Even with a pair of true freshmen — Zaden Krempin and Sam Roseborough — at left guard, the Aggies have been able to run the ball pretty much at will. That’s what you should expect, but who can tell with this team? Jamarion Morrow is averaging 6.8 yards a carry and has three touchdowns on the ground; KJ Edwards is averaging nearly 8 a carry and had a 32-yard run to get the Aggies out from the shadow of their own end zone. Those two have earned the right to get the lion’s share of the carries.

Basically, this was supposed to be a reminder to the Aggie offense that they can move the ball on offense. 278 yards is a pretty good way to show it, especially when you’re down three of your top four receivers.

Defensively, just stop Gavin Garcia. He’s their offense. They’ve got nothing else. The Citadel has 6 passing yards for the entire first half. They have 70 rushing yards on 25 carries, or 2.8 YPC. But they did manage to get a couple of first downs and move the ball into Aggie territory. With Daymion Sanford sitting this one out, Ray Coney has gotten a ton of work and he has 7 tackles. Tawfiq Byard has been used as the attacking safety I talked about a couple of weeks ago, and he’s been a force in the offensive backfield. The backups have been getting a lot of work and Sam M’Pemba and Bryce Perry-Wright have been doing a good job. BPW looks like he’s taken Ryan Henderson’s job.

The Aggies get the ball to start the second half and hopefully they’ll score and you can empty the bench. You’re feeling good, don’t do anything to mess that up.